


In Which Tony Comes Home, and Bruce Never Left

by hellsyeah



Category: Marvel (Movies), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: M/M, Post Avengers (2012)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-17
Updated: 2013-06-17
Packaged: 2017-12-15 06:58:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/846658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hellsyeah/pseuds/hellsyeah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony comes home to Stark Tower, wanting to know why Bruce hasn't returned any of his calls or texts. He's positive what he got was not what he expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Which Tony Comes Home, and Bruce Never Left

Tony was finally back home, Stark Tower welcoming him with a familiar sight. Except, Tony wasn’t exactly happy. He was glad to be home, yes, but he was aggravated because he was gone for over a month and the last week or so he hadn’t received a single text or call from Bruce. The last text had said something about pulling an all nighter in the lab and then nothing. Not a word out of him. So as soon as Tony had dropped his stuff off on his floor he was in the elevator again, heading toward the lab. It was in the elevator that he realized the tower was not as empty as it had been before, he could tell there were other people there.

When the doors opened on Bruce’s floor he was met with several members of SHIELD wondering around the hallways and his face contorted with confusion. He hadn’t taken two steps before Natasha was standing in his path, a frown on her face. 

“Oh thank God you’re home.” Tony raised an eyebrow, why hadn’t they just called him back. He voiced his question and Natasha’s mouth quirked up in an invisible smile, “Bruce told us not to bother you with it. Said he would handle it when you got back.”

“Handle what?” Tony tried to step around her but she matched his steps, keeping him from going anywhere. 

“Well, I’m not really supposed to tell you.” She sighed when he glared at her, “But I can say that there was an accident, Bruce was involved. You might have some repairs to make to your labs.” Tony didn’t care about the money, he cared about what happened to Bruce. His glare deepened and he tried to step around her again. This time she let him but matched her pace with his.

“What kind of accident was it?” He tried to keep his voice emotionless but his worry bled through his words anyway. “Is Bruce okay?”

“Dr. Banner is, well, uh,” Natasha ran a hand through her hair, obviously conflicted about what she was supposed to tell him, “just let him tell you. He’s in his room.” Then she turned and quickly walked away, avoiding anymore questions Tony might ask.

Tony watched her go for a second his face changing from confused to complete worry. He turned the the direction of Bruce’s room and quickened his pace, trying to keep from running, he didn’t need the people in the halls thinking he was flawed. Though loving Bruce would never be a flaw for him, he knew other people would see it as such. He only hesitated when he got to Bruce’s door, glad no one was in this hallway, or anywhere near-by. Tony knocked quietly, leaning close to the door so he could hear Bruce.

“Just go away.” Bruce’s voice was quiet, he sounded defeated. A sharp pain shot through Tony’s chest. The lingering anger he had felt diminished nearly to nothing. It didn’t matter that the door was locked, Tony knew the code to get in, and he pushed the door open slowly peaking into the room. 

Bruce’s room was destroyed, there were clothes thrown everywhere, and everything that had decorated the walls now littered the floor. Tony didn’t focus on that much because Bruce was sitting on his bed, leaning against the headboard in nothing but a pair of sweatpants. Tony rarely saw Bruce like this, he was always dressed his best, but again, that’s not what Tony focused on. 

Bruce wasn’t looking at him, he didn’t turn his head away from staring at the wall. His face was red, tear tracks running down his face, but Bruce wasn’t crying now. He just looked how he had sounded, defeated. Tony crossed the room quickly and silently, but still Bruce didn’t turn to him. He didn’t turn to him when he sat by Bruce’s side on the bed. But he knew Tony was there.

“Bruce?” Tony’s voice was a whisper as he searched the doctor’s face, “What’s happened, I heard about an accident?” Bruce didn’t turn, but he flinched slightly at the mention of the accident. “Are you okay?” Tony’s voice rose slightly in pitch as he started to worry even more. A slow feeling of panic settled in his stomach, something was wrong. “Why aren’t you looking at me?” Tony’s breath was quicker than it had been and after a moment Bruce’s face tilted slightly toward Tony but not completely. Bruce’s response was grave.

“I can’t see you.” Tony’s breath caught. He couldn’t see him? But Tony was right next to him. He shifted so he was looking directly at Bruce’s face. Bruce’s eyes were open but unfocused, they were cloudy. Tony’s throat felt tight and he forced himself to look away.

“You’re blind.” He forced the words out. They weren’t a question, he knew it was true. It explained how Bruce hadn’t contacted him. Even if he didn’t understand why Bruce didn’t let anyone contact him. “Why- how did this happen?”

Bruce let out a dry laugh, eye’s falling shut out of habit. “It was just another failed attempt at getting rid of Him,” Tony ignored the agitation that he felt at that, the Hulk was a part of Bruce and Tony had told him to stop trying to get rid of him, but he let Bruce continue, “I don’t know what happened. It failed.” Bruce sighed and bit his lip and Tony had to refrain from grabbing him and telling him not to tell him. Tony wanted to know though, so he kept back. “The next thing I know I’m waking up naked in a destroyed lab, except, I couldn’t see where I was. An intern found me what seemed like an eternity later but it was probably no more than half an hour. They helped me back to my room and I told them to call SHIELD. Once everyone got here Steve helped tell everyone what happened, and not to call you.” 

Tony felt aggravated again, he wondered when this room was destroyed, before or after the SHIELD members came to help. He couldn’t hold himself back any longer and reached out for Bruce, wrapping his arms around the man’s waist and burying his face in Bruce’s neck. It took a minute before he felt Bruce’s arms wrap around him and pull him closer. He wanted to tell Bruce that it was okay. He wasn’t mad at him. At the same time he wanted to rant and scream about how Bruce had been stupid, he should have contacted him, he should have known better than to try to get rid of the Other Guy again. Instead Tony just remained against Bruce’s chest pressing barely-there kisses to the side of his neck. Tony would worry about all that later. Bruce needed him now. And Tony was going to make sure Bruce knew everything was going to be okay.

 


End file.
